Clothes-line tightener.



B. F. WINGERT.

CLOTHES LINE TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. I917- Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

gnoentoz B. T. (Y IHGERT" NSJM Clttozney BENJAMIN" FRANKLIN WII 'TGERT, OE WARREN,

CLOTHES-LINE TIGHTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed Kay 17, 1917. Serial No. 169,206.

To allwhom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WINGER'I, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Warren, in the county of Albevention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a clothes line reel and tightener, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of'construction whereby the clothes line may be conveniently wound upon the same and protected from the weather when not in use, and drawn taut so as to be used without clothes line props when it is stretched across a yard or inclosure.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this characterwhich is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be easily mounted in a permanent position for use, which will enable the clothes line to be easily taken in or let out, as desired, and which will effectively protect the clothes line against the action of the weather when it is not in use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully a pear as the description proceeds, the nove features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, in which 'Fi re lis a side elevation of a clothesline tlghtener constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, portions of the arched cover late bein broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end e evation t ereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.-

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a base plate which is designed to be secured to a post or other vertical support 2 by means of suitable fastening members such as the bolts 3. A air of spaced and parallel arms 4 project horizontally from the base plate 1, being provided at intermedlate portions in their length with correspondmg bearings 5, and having upright bars 6 secured to the outer ends thereof. A shaft 7 is j'ournaled in the bearings 5 and has a reel 8 fitted thereon. In the present instance the reel and shaft are shown as locked together with a cotte pin 9 which asses through corresponding 0 enings therein, the inner extremity of the c othes line 10 being secured to the head of the cotter in. One end of the shaft 8 extends lateral y beyond the sides of the supporting frame and has a ratchet wheel 11 rigidl applied thereto, a

conventional crank han e 12 being fitted upon the extremity of the shaft.

A cross bar 13 connects the outer extremities of the horizontal arms 4 and is slotted longitudinally at 14 to provide a guide opening for the clothes line 10. With this construction it will be obvious'that the clothes line can be easily wound u on the reel 8 when it is not in use, and t at when it is desired to stretch the clothes line across a yard or inclosurefor the purpose of hanging clothes thereon it is merely necessary to grasp the outer end thereof and unwind it from the reel. A sna hook 15 is shown as applied to the extremity ofthe clothes line, and when the latter is unwound and stretched in operative position this snap hook is designed to engage a suitable I-bolt 16 or like member. A pawl 17 is provided for engagement with the ratchet wheel 11 to prevent backward turnin thereof and hold the clothes line taut, sai pawl being provided with a convenient finger-piece 18 for swinging it into and of out operative position.

An arched sheet metal cover plate 19 is arranged'above'the reel 8 for the '(purpose of protecting the clothes line woun upon the reel from the 'action'of the weather. "The rear edge of the arched cover plate 19 is rolled to provide a sleeve 20 which loosely receives a pivot rod 21 connecting the flared inner ends of the horizontal arms 4. The outer edge .of the arched cover plate 19 is provided with a. returned flange 22 which has 106 tend to hold the hooked edge 22' of the flange 22 in engagement with the undercut portions 23* of the notches 23, thereby holding the cover plate securely in operative position so that it will not be swung upwardly by the action of the Wind. However, when it is desired to swing the cover plate upwardly, it is merely necessary to first spring the forward edge thereof inwardly a suflicient amount to disengage the hooked rib 22* of the flange from the undercut side 23 of the notch 23.

If desired, a hook member 24 may be mounted upon the end of the pivot rod 21 for engagement with the finger-piece 18 of the pawl 17 to hold the pawl in an inoperative position when unwinding the clothes line from the reel. The pivot end of this hook member may also, if desired, be provided with a spring arm 25 arranged for engagement with the pawl 17 to hold it yieldab-ly in engagement with the ratchet wheel when the hook member is swung upwardly into inoperative position. After the clothes line has been unwound from the reel and the snap hook 15 at the outer end thereof placed in engagement with the eye-bolt 16 the crank handle 12 is manipulated to take up all looseness of the clothes line and draw it taut. The action of the pawl 1? in preventing unwinding of the clothes line will then hold it in a taut condition so that it can be used without any necessity for employing clothes line props to support intermediate ortions thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. A clothes line reel including a base plate, a pair of parallel supporting arms menace projecting horizontally therefrom, a transverse rod connecting the inner ends of the supporting arms, upright bars at the outer ends of the supporting arms, said upright bars having the ends thereof notched, a reel mounted between the supporting arms,means for operating the reel, and an arched sheet metal cover plate having the rear edge there of rolled for a pivotal engagement with the before mentioned transverse rod, while the forward edge thereof is returned and hooked for an interlocking connection with the notched ends of the upright bars.

2. A clothes line reel including a base plate, a pair of parallel supporting arms projecting horizontally therefrom, a reel mounted between the arms, a crank handle for rotating the reel, a ratchet wheel rigid with the reel, a pawl mounted for engaging the ratchet wheel, a pivot rod connecting the rear ends of the supporting arms, a cover plate extending over the reel and having the rear edge thereof connected to the pivot rod, means for supporting the forward edge of the cover plate, a hook member mounted upon the end of the pivot rod for engagement with the pawl to hold it in inoperative position, and a spring operatively connected to the hook member to be brought into engagement with the. pawl when the hook member is swung into inoperative position.

In. testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WINGEET.

Witnesses: 1

A. W. MAYO, J. E. Ansoon. 

